San Francisco Pride – the Largest Event in California – Starts Tomorrow

San Francisco Pride will take place this weekend, Saturday, June 24th and Sunday, June 25th. Approximately one million people are expected to head to San Francisco in the lead up to the weekend, which over its 48-year history has grown to become the largest event in California, as well as one of the top five largest events in the United States.

SF Pride is the largest LGBTQ gathering in the nation. Its mission is to commemorate LGBTQ heritage and celebrate the community’s culture and liberation. The theme for 2018 is “Generations of Strength.” Saturday’s celebrations start at 12:00 noon in the Civic Center Plaza and surrounding neighborhood in downtown San Francisco, and on Sunday the San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade and March will feature over 270 contingents. Among them will be community groups and organizations, elected officials, local businesses and corporate groups, all marching down Market Street from Beale to 8th Street. In total, more than 50,000 marchers, dozens of floats and crowds of around 100,000 people are expected to join the SF Pride celebrations.

Over two days, the Main Stage at the steps of City Hall in Civic Center Plaza will feature local, national and international performers and speakers. This year’s headliner is R&B singer and songwriter Kehlani, who will take to the stage at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Other scheduled performers include Yaeji, Le1f, Evelyn “Champagne” King, Our Lady J, Hector Fonseca and Natascha Bessez. Main Stage speakers include Kate Kendell of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Dr. Cynthia Gomez of Planned Parenthood and Rev. Annie Steinberg-Behrman of Metropolitan Community Church.

Celebrity Grand Marshalls of the 48th Annual LGBT Pride Parade and March will be Our Lady J and Jose & Luis. Gavin Grimm, a transgender teen whose fight to use the boys’ bathroom at his Virginia high school sparked a nationwide campaign and federal lawsuit filed by the ACLU, will be a special guest in the parade.